Those who know me well are aware that one of my pet hates is ‘church shoppers’, individuals who like to ‘shop around’ to find a church best suited to ‘their needs.’ Never mind the fact that there is a struggling/dwindling evangelical church on their doorstep who would be mightily encouraged by a new face. I don’t know what the USA is like but people here are more influenced by ‘worship style’ these days than anything else. So, what defines a ‘good’ church is reduced to whether they have a rocking band and a good singles pool ‘to fish from.’
Many people take offense when I try to find out who they are and where they come from. Being a community church I pretty much know if somebody is from Niddrie or a seasoned church hopper. People are even more offended when I tell them that they are better off sticking with their local church than driving 10 miles to come to us. And they are even more offended when I ask for the name and number of their old pastor just to ensure there are no issues I need to be aware of. I’ve said this before, but I do not like fishing in other men’s ponds. also, I have enough barm pots of my own in Niddrie without collecting other people’s!
Anyway, not all people have bad reasons for shopping around and I have found an interesting article here for those who are genuinely looking for a place to worship. It offers some helpful advice on what we should be prioritising if we are looking to move churches.